Chef Isabel
Bicicleta Murciana (Ensaladilla sobre Rosquilla)
The Murcian bicicleta is the anchovy-free cousin of the marinera: ensaladilla rusa mounded on a crisp rosquilla de pan. Keep the salad cold and the bread dry until the last minute.
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Marinera Murciana
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Marinera Murciana is Murcia on a bread ring: cold ensaladilla rusa piled onto a crisp rosquilla and crowned with one salted anchovy. Build it just before eating.
Sandwiches & Wraps
Spanish
Outdoor Dining
Picnic
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
20 min cook•1 hr 45 min total
Yield12 marineras
Marinera Murciana belongs to Murcia, and it is exact in its smallness: a crisp rosquilla, a mound of cold ensaladilla rusa, and one salted anchovy laid across the top. Change the fish and it changes name. Leave the fish off and it is another thing again. Murcia is particular about this, and rightly so.
The method that decides it is not difficult. The ensaladilla must be cold, creamy, and well drained, and the marinera must be assembled at the last minute. If you pile wet potato salad onto the rosquilla too early, the bread softens and the whole pleasure is gone. Crunch underneath, cream in the middle, salt on top. That is the bite.
If you are far from Murcia, no hace falta haber pisado España. Use a dry, crisp breadstick ring if you can find one, or a sturdy Italian-style tarallo at a pinch; it will be a little denser, but it gives the same job of crunch and support. For the fish, use good salt-cured anchovy fillets in olive oil, not a vinegar boquerón. Pésalo, no lo adivines, and chill the salad well. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
The marinera is one of Murcia's emblematic bar-counter bites, built from ensaladilla rusa set onto a hard rosquilla and finished with a salted anchovy. Its small family of names is part of the local grammar: marinera with anchovy, marinero with boquerón en vinagre, and bicicleta with no fish. The form suits Murcia's aperitivo habit because the bread stays in the hand and the salted fish sharpens the mild potato salad in one bite.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
waxy potatoes
Quantity
600g
peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
carrot
Quantity
120g
peeled and diced small
large eggs
Quantity
2
tuna in olive oil
Quantity
120g
drained and flaked
pitted green olives
Quantity
80g
finely chopped
pickled cucumber or variantes
Quantity
60g
finely chopped and well drained
mayonnaise
Quantity
150g, plus 1 tablespoon if needed
pickle brine or mild white wine vinegar
Quantity
1 tablespoon
fine salt
Quantity
to taste
crisp rosquillas murcianas or dry breadstick rings
Quantity
12
salt-cured anchovy fillets in olive oil
Quantity
12
drained
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| waxy potatoespeeled and cut into 2cm chunks | 600g |
| carrotpeeled and diced small | 120g |
| large eggs | 2 |
| tuna in olive oildrained and flaked | 120g |
| pitted green olivesfinely chopped | 80g |
| pickled cucumber or variantesfinely chopped and well drained | 60g |
| mayonnaise | 150g, plus 1 tablespoon if needed |
| pickle brine or mild white wine vinegar | 1 tablespoon |
| fine salt | to taste |
| crisp rosquillas murcianas or dry breadstick rings | 12 |
| salt-cured anchovy fillets in olive oildrained | 12 |
Equipment Needed
- •Medium saucepan
- •Small saucepan for eggs
- •Mixing bowl
- •Tray for drying potatoes
- •Kitchen scale
Instructions
- 1
Cook the potatoes
Put the potatoes and carrot in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until the potato gives easily to a knife, about 12 to 15 minutes. Do not cook it to mush; the salad wants small tender pieces, not paste.
- 2
Boil the eggs
At the same time, lower the eggs into a small pan of simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Cool under cold water, peel, and chop finely. Keep one spoonful of chopped egg aside if you want a little over the top before the anchovy.
- 3
Drain and dry
Drain the potatoes and carrot very well, then spread them on a tray for 10 minutes so the surface moisture leaves. This is the step that keeps the ensaladilla creamy instead of wet. A watery salad ruins the rosquilla before you even sit down.
- 4
Mix the ensaladilla
Put the potatoes and carrot in a bowl and break up only the largest potato pieces with a fork. Fold in the tuna, chopped egg, olives, and drained pickles. Add the mayonnaise and pickle brine, then mix gently until the salad holds together. Taste before salting, because the anchovy will bring plenty of salt later.
If the salad looks stiff after chilling, add one more tablespoon of mayonnaise, not more brine. More liquid softens the bread too quickly. - 5
Chill the salad
Cover the ensaladilla and chill it for at least 1 hour. Cold firms it up, settles the tuna and pickle through the potato, and makes it easy to mound cleanly on the rosquilla.
- 6
Build the marineras
Just before serving, set the rosquillas on a platter. Spoon about 45g ensaladilla onto each one, pressing lightly so it sits in a neat mound but does not crack the bread. Lay one anchovy fillet across the top of each. Serve at once, while the ring still snaps under your teeth.
Chef Tips
- •Use waxy potatoes. Floury potatoes collapse and drink too much mayonnaise, and then the ensaladilla turns heavy.
- •The anchovy must be salt-cured and packed in oil. A boquerón en vinagre is good food, but on this it makes a marinero, not a marinera.
- •If you cannot find rosquillas murcianas, use crisp breadstick rings or taralli. Choose the plainest kind, sturdy and dry, because a soft roll is no use here.
- •Drain everything that comes from a tin or jar. Tuna, olives, pickles, anchovies. Good marineras are creamy, not dripping.
Advance Preparation
- •Make the ensaladilla up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.
- •Do not assemble the marineras ahead. Set the salad and anchovies out cold, then build them just before serving so the rosquilla stays crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 120g)
Calories
230 calories
Total Fat
14 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
12 g
Cholesterol
40 mg
Sodium
660 mg
Total Carbohydrates
18 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
8 g
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