Place porcini mushrooms into a bowl. Pour 1 cup hot water into the bowl and let the mushrooms rehydrate until soft. Once soft, squeeze the liquid, chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.

In a saucepan pour in the stock, on medium heat, bring to a simmer. Once simmering reduce heat to very low to keep warm.

In a wok or shallow pan add in the butter. On medium heat let the butter melt a little. Then add and stir in the chopped porcini mushrooms and garlic. Continue to cook for 5-6 minutes until they have softened. Transfer onto a plate and set aside.

In the same pan add the olive oil along with the butter (optional) and the chopped shallots or onions. On medium heat sauté until soft and translucent.

Now add the risotto rice, stir occasionally to infuse the flavours. Cook for a minute and and when the rice sounds crunchy add the white wine.

Let the wine bubble to nothing so the alcohol evaporates. cook out the wine. Shake the pan occasionally to move the rice. Once the wine has evaporated and cooked out, it's time to add the stock. Ladle two spoonfuls at a time. Tip: do not stir the rice. Occasionally shake the pan. Once the liquid has reduced add another two ladles. Repeat process until roughly about 2 ladles stock left.

Add the porcini mushrooms back into the pan. At this point we can now stir the mixture. Gently stir and incorporate all of the ingredients. Pour in the remaining stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Tip: if more liquid is needed add a bit of porcini juice (optional) at a time to cook the rice.

Check the rice to see if cooked to desired texture. The rice is normally cooked until al dente. Cook for longer if you prefer rice more cooked. Once cooked to preference add a knob of butter and grate in Parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate the butter and cheese.

To serve spoon the risotto into a serving plate. Garnish with parsley (optimal) and grate over Parmesan cheese and enjoy. Tip: any left over risotto can be used to make another Italian dish called arancini balls (rice balls).