• good quality mussels
• 1 c. boiling water
• a steamer basket
• a 12-inch sauce pot with a cover

1. Remove any extraneous beards from the mussels. (Basically make sure nothing is sticking out the shell that doesn't look like it should be there).
2. Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes.
3. Place 1 C. water in a pot, add your steamer basket and then add one layer of mussels (make sure not to place mussels on top of each other because you won't want to weigh them down when they're  trying to open).
4. Cover pot and steam mussels at medium heat for 5-7 minutes. The larger they open, the better. (Please note that just because they're open does not mean they are fully cooked!)