# Rustic Clam Stew with Romanesco and Purple Potatoes > Sweet clams, purple potatoes, and Romanesco make a generous winter lunch in a light, briny broth. Soft leeks and a handful of parsley round it out, with lemon added at the end to keep the vegetables and shellfish bright. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/rustic-leftover-clam-stew-with-purple-potatoes-romanesco - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2023-02-03 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, pescatarian ![Rustic Clam Stew with Romanesco and Purple Potatoes](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F22bdbd7bd733ceb0.jpg) ## Rustic Clam, Romanesco, and Potato Stew Cooking the potatoes in the broth gives it a little body without cream. Romanesco goes in later to retain its texture, and the already-cooked clams are reheated only at the end. ### Ingredients - 3 lb leftover steamed clams in their shells, refrigerated promptly after the original meal - 1 cup reserved clam steaming liquid, or gluten-free bottled clam juice - 3 cups water, plus more as needed - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1 large leek, white and light green parts washed well and thinly sliced - 1 stalk celery, finely sliced, leaves reserved - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced - 1/3 cup dry white wine - 1 lb mixed purple and yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks - 1 small head Romanesco, about 1 lb, trimmed into bite-size florets - 1/3 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, tender stems included - 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste - to taste fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Keep the cooked clams refrigerated while preparing the vegetables. Strain the reserved steaming liquid through a fine sieve lined with a damp paper towel to remove sand. Taste it; if very salty, use less and replace the difference with water. 2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leek and celery and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until soft without browning. Add the garlic and parsley stems and cook for 1 minute. 3. Add the wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the strained clam liquid and water, then add the potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for 10–12 minutes. 4. Add the Romanesco and simmer for 5–7 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the florets still hold their shape. Add a splash of water if needed; the stew should be brothy, but not soupy enough to submerge every ingredient. 5. Add the refrigerated clams and any collected juices. Cover and heat gently, turning the clams through the broth, until the clam meat reaches 165°F, usually 3–5 minutes. Avoid prolonged boiling. 6. Remove from the heat. Fold in the parsley leaves and reserved celery leaves, then add lemon juice and black pepper. Taste before adding salt, since the clam liquor may provide enough. ### Notes - Use only clams that were cooked safely and refrigerated within 2 hours. Discard any that remained closed after the original steaming; reheating does not make those suitable to eat. - If starting with fresh clams, scrub 4 lb live clams and discard cracked shells or clams that do not close when tapped. Steam, covered, with the wine and 1/2 cup water for 5–8 minutes, removing clams as they open. Discard unopened clams, strain the liquid, and use it in the stew; omit the later wine addition. Return freshly steamed clams just long enough to warm through. - Purple potatoes can tint the broth slightly. Keep the simmer gentle so their edges soften without breaking apart. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The vegetables cook in sequence while the clams stay cold until the final reheating, preserving their texture. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Wash and cut the vegetables, strain the clam liquid, and keep the clams refrigerated. 2. 0:15 — Soften the leek and celery, add garlic, and reduce the wine. 3. 0:25 — Start simmering the potatoes in the broth. 4. 0:37 — Add the Romanesco and cook until just tender. 5. 0:43 — Add the clams, reheat thoroughly, and finish with herbs and lemon. Serve immediately. ## Plating Wide, warm bowls show off the shells and colorful vegetables while keeping the broth easy to spoon. ### Instructions 1. Divide the potatoes and Romanesco among four warm, shallow bowls. 2. Arrange the clams over and between the vegetables, then ladle the leek-filled broth around them. 3. Serve immediately with spoons and an empty bowl for shells. ## Leftover Path This is already a second-use shellfish dish, so making only what will be eaten gives the best texture and avoids repeated reheating. ### Instructions 1. Ideally, finish the stew at this meal. If fewer portions are needed, cook the vegetable base and reheat only the clams you intend to serve. 2. Refrigerate any remaining stew in shallow containers within 2 hours. Count storage time from the clams’ original cooking date, not from the day the stew was made; use within 3–4 days of that original date. 3. For another serving, remove the clam meat from the shells, heat the broth and vegetables, then add the meat and bring it to 165°F without extended boiling. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.