Remove the meat
Put clams in a colander and pour boiling water over them just until shells open. Rinse with cold water until cool. Gently pull clams from shells, slicing the muscle that attaches to the shell to free the meat.
Cut lengthwise
Snip off dark tip of the skinny siphon. With scissors, cut clam lengthwise from siphon to base of the digger (foot) and open.
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Lay flat
Lay clam flat and cut around slippery tan gills, mouth, and digger to separate them from the rest of the white meat.
Remove the stomach
Squeeze digger so the dark stomach shows through the meat, then snip around it and gills and remove. If a clear rod pops out, discard it as well.
The final product
The white meat comes out in two neat pieces once you have a little practice. Rinse clam meat.
