Hell's Kitchen season 21 episode 12 release date, air time, and plot

Hell's Kitchen returns for another explosive episode this week on Thursday. Season 21 is also about to hit a crescendo as Gordan Ramsey gets ready to pick the Top 5.

The synopsis of the upcoming episode reads:

"The final seven chefs compete in several challenges to earn their coveted black jackets; two chefs are eliminated."

Hell's Kitchen season 21, episode 12, will air on Thursday, January 19, at 8 pm ET on Fox.

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Black Jackets are up for grabs in the upcoming Hell's Kitchen episode

Hell's Kitchen season 21 started off with 18 chefs who were divided based on their age. However, as the show progressed, the teams reshuffled and pitted women against men in the culinary competition.

It’s now down to seven of these chefs, and only five can move on to the next round. Those still in the race are Alejandro Najar, Alex Belew, and Sakari Smithwick from the Blue Team. The Red Team consists of Cheyenne Nichols, Dafne Mejia, Sommer Sellers, and Tara Ciannella.

A promo uploaded on Food Club’s Youtube channel gave a sneak peek of the upcoming episode.

The contestants will have to compete in more than one challenge in the upcoming installment to be deemed worthy of the Black Jacket, and the promo also provided an insight into the very end of the challenge. 27-year-old Sakari Smithwick brings a curry dish to the table, which seems to impress Gordon, who exclaims:

“Finally, a curry.”

The Hell's Kitchen contestant created a shellfish, clam, and lobster broth with sauteed butternut squash and butternut puree. Sakari tells the chef that the dish is inspired by his mother - his biggest supporter.

After tasting the curry, Gordon states that the puree is exceptional. The Hell's Kitchen chef points out the Lobster to the contestant and tells him that it’s “30 seconds away.”

In his confessional, Sakari said:

"30 seconds off of my lobster. 30 seconds, it was so close. So so close."

The chef then addresses the top seven and tells them that they did an “outstanding job” and reconfirmed his belief that he had picked the right people. He tells the chefs that choosing the first person to get a black jacket is a tough decision.

The winner of the season will take home a $250,000 cash prize and will serve as the head chef at Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City.

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Previously on the Fox show

The previous episode consisted of a blind test and a special dinner service. In the first challenge, the contestants had to identify items by taste alone.

The teams went head-to-head, and ultimately, the Red Team won 5-4 with a chance at a horseback ride in Hollywood Hills. In the second leg of the race, they had to take part in a special dinner service.

The Red Team cooked for Project Angel Food, while the Blue Team cooked for the Justin Turner Foundation and featured special guests Eric McCormack and Justin Turner. The first course consisted of caviar and eggs, led by Dafne and Sakari.

The second course was scallops and was led by Cheyenne and Brett. Red Team took the lead, and the third course consisted of Pea and Fava Bean Risotto with Tempura Lobster. While Tara and Alejandro led their teams, their dishes weren't exactly flawless.

The final course included Fillet with Truffles and Asparagus and was led by Sommer and Alex. The chef picked Sakari and Sommer as the best leaders, who then nominated two players from their respective teams for elimination.