Hollywood Brown Derby in Walt Disney World Resort’s Hollywood Studios is one of our favorite restaurants to eat gluten free in Disney. The Brown Derby changes their menu seasonally and even will change the version of an offering at any time, so you may never see some of your favorite foods again.
When we can’t get to the parks or they drop a menu item, we love to recreate our favorite Disney World gluten free food and recipes at home. You can find a variety of pork belly options throughout Walt Disney World, from festivals to signature restaurants. The Brown Derby appetizer has a blend of spicy, sweet and savory flavors making it one of our favorites! One of their past versions included a cauliflower puree and red onion gastrique. The most recent Pork Belly and Scallops we tried at The Brown Derby had a tomato jam and pea tendrils. Our gluten free recipe for Pork Belly and Scallops is fun and delicious to make at home. Make it today and bring a little Disney magic to your next meal!
Tips for Gluten Free Pork Belly and Scallops Copycat Recipe
- Buy fresh Pork Belly from your local butcher shop. Marinate the pork belly with salt, spices, and rice vinegar as long as possible up to a day.
- Our version is pretty quick cooking. If you have the time, cook slower and lower. Try 275° for 2 – 2 ½ hours.
- Make it quicker and easier by purchasing, instead of preparing, the apricot jam, pickled red onions (we want to make our pickled onions soon), and pre-washed greens.
- We made this for our main entree. Cut the recipe in half for appetizer sizes or smaller parties.
- Try different ingredients to marinate the pork belly. We also like to use soy sauce and garlic. Or try using spices with more heat.
- Larger sea scallops are easier to work with than bay scallops. Also, the larger the scallop the easier it is to not overcook them, and avoid ending up with tough, chewy scallops. They are expensive to purchase, so make sure they are cooked perfectly.
- We love the pea tendrils they serve with Pork Belly and Scallops at The Brown Derby, but in real life they are not always easy or affordably available. Our next choice is a baby arugula, that is not too bitter. For this version, we had baby spinach on hand. Baby spinach is readily available and will not be too bitter.
- Experimenting with jams and sauces can be a fun way to make different variations. We didn’t have time to make the tomato jam, but you could purchase it. A seedless raspberry jam with lemon juice would add a nice flavor too.
- Have fun with plating! We did our own style, but replicating The Brown Derby adds a special, magical touch too!
Gluten Free Products We Love
- Celtic Sea Salt – We’ve used this for years for taste and health. A natural source of iodine and a great tasting salt. We keep it on the counter in salt crock. This salt is a coarse and “wet’ salt. You can use wet in cooking, but needs to dry for before putting in a grinder. Once the salt has “dried” in the crock, we put it in a grinder to make a fine sea salt for individual salting. Buying in a larger bag keeps the price more reasonable. Find it on Amazon →Celtic Sea Salt 5 lb
- Himalayan Pink Salt – Fine Grain by Himalayan Chef – Another great salt product with delicious taste and minerals. We use this when we need a handy fine grain salt. Reasonably priced and easy to find. Shipped to you here →Himalayan Pink Salt – Fine Grain
ALWAYS, ALWAYS READ LABELS!
No matter how many times we’ve bought a product, we read the labels. Companies often change ingredients or even manufacturing facilities. This recipe was adapted for our food allergies.
*These products have not caused a reaction for us. Please consult a medical professional or dietician for your own food allergen restrictions.
Hollywood Brown Derby’s Pork Belly and Scallops Homemade Version
Ingredients:
1 – 1 ½ lb pork belly with skin attached
4 Tbsp coarse salt (kosher or celtic sea)
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
¼ c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
Assembling Ingredients:
½ c. pickled red onions
2 c. greens (pea tendrils, baby arugula or baby spinach)
Apricot Jam (recipe below)
Scallops (recipe below)
- Preheat the oven to 325°. On the meat side of the pork belly, spread 1 tsp. Sea salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Rub spices into meat. Drizzle rice vinegar over spices. Flip pork belly over on a foil covered baking sheet or roasting pan. On the skin side of the pork belly, cut slits into skin and fat about 1” apart. Do not penetrate the meat when making slits.
- Place foil protectors along the sides of the pork belly. Roast in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Turn the oven up to 400° on convection for 10-15 minutes or until brown and skin is crispy. Or broil on high until the skin is crispy. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Assemble, beginning with spinach, then pork belly, scallops, apricot jam and lastly red pickled onions.
Apricot Jam
Apricot Jam
1 ½ c. dried apricots – chopped in small pieces
1 ½ c. sugar – unbleached
½ c. water
¼ c. orange juice
- Heat the apricots, sugar, and water over medium heat until boiling. Then turn down to simmer until apricots are soft and mushy.
- Using a muddler or masher to break apart apricot pieces.
- Stir in orange juice and reduce heat to low. Simmer, very lightly, until the mixture is thick and glossy looking.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. It should thicken into a nice gooey glaze.
Browned Scallops
12-16 oz sea scallops – thawed or fresh (not bay scallops)
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. In a non-stick saute pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
2. Drain water off of scallops and dry on paper towels. Pat with paper towels until they are completely dry.
3. Once the pan is hot and the butter is beginning to brown, add scallops to the pan. Leave in the pan until brown, 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the scallops. With tongs, gently flip each scallop over to brown the other side, another 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
Want to bring more Disney World magic home?
Check out our copycat recipe version of The Hollywood Brown Derby’s Famous Cobb Salad! Copycat Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad – Gluten Free
For a full review of our gluten free experience at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Brown Derby, check it out here → The Hollywood Brown Derby
For more great gluten free recipes and how we live a great life, gluten free check out our linktree
*These products have not caused a reaction for us. Please consult a medical professional or dietician for your own food allergen restrictions.
**This article contains affiliate links which we may benefit monetarily from.
