Little Fish and Chainsaw's Chicken and Leek Congee
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When the city needed comfort, Little Fish and Chainsaw answered. These two restaurants joined forces to serve thousands of meals to first responders and evacuees after the 2025 L.A. wildfires, including a riff on a familiar favorite, congee. Little Fish in Echo Park regularly serves the simmered rice porridge made with either fish or mushrooms — but during these relief efforts, made a special version using leeks and chicken.
It starts with an allium-scented stock, which becomes both a paste and a broth to add flavor and heft to the final congee. When topped with a soft-boiled egg and chili crisp it’s rich and spicy — though this congee is just as good sans toppings, eaten straight out of the pot.
Make the broth: In a large pot, combine the leeks, ginger and garlic with the water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for 30 minutes.
Add chicken thighs and simmer until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken and set aside. Then strain the broth, reserving both the liquid and solids separately.
Prepare the leek puree: Remove the ginger and garlic from the reserved solids and set aside. Remove the leek greens and discard. Reserve a few tablespoons of white leeks for topping, then add the rest of the leek whites to a blender or food processor with the ginger and garlic and process until smooth.
Cook the congee: In a heavy-bottomed pot, lightly sauté the leek puree over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the strained broth and tamari.
Stir in the uncooked rice and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to desired consistency, about an hour.
Prepare the chicken: Shred the cooked chicken thighs. Season with salt and MSG to taste.
Assemble the congee: Once the rice reaches the desired thickness, stir in the shredded chicken to warm through. Ladle the congee into bowls.
Top each bowl with a soft-boiled egg, sliced in half. Add chili crisp and thinly sliced reserved leeks, along with any fresh herbs to your liking.
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