Luscious and creamy, this classic Italian dish is perfect on a cold night. The mushrooms used are suggestions - try experimenting with other varieties. You'll find the dried porcini in good Italian delis and greengrocers - they are optional but add depth of flavour to the risotto

Serves 4

1.25 - 1.5 litres chicken or beef stock
30g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
125ml (½ cup) white wine
350g (1 ½ cups) arborio rice
200g Swiss Browns, sliced
150g oyster mushrooms, cut in strips
50g button mushrooms, sliced
1 x 10g pkt dried porcini mushrooms,
- reduced to powder in a blender (optional)
salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream (optional)
100g (1 cup) freshly grated parmesan

Bring stock to the boil, reduce heat and keep at a very low simmer. In a large pan, melt butter and oil, add onion and cook until soft but not coloured. Add the rice and continue stirring until rice is coated with butter.

Pour in the wine, simmer until absorbed. Stir in mushrooms and porcini powder (if using), add a ladleful of simmering stock. Cook over low heat adding another ladleful of stock as liquid is absorbed, stirring gently all the time with a wooden spoon. Continue in this manner until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is soft and creamy but still retains a slight firmness in the centre of each grain. This will take about twenty minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in butter, cream (if using) and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with a tight fitting lid and leave to stand for a couple of minutes before serving.

Tip: When well made, risotto should be creamy, not runny, and the grains of rice should remain 'al dente'. A pinch of saffron strands can be added to the stock for additional flavour. Most supermarkets now stock Australian-grown arborio rice.

You can catch Sheridan on the Bob Rogers Show Wednesday mornings at 10.20.