‘Hell’s Kitchen’ has Las Vegas, Henderson flavor

Line cook Chris Eversole, 27, left, of Las Vegas, and buffet cook Simone Hammond, 43, right, of Henderson, are competing on "Hell's Kitchen." (Ray Mickshaw/FOX)

Forget truffles, shallots and all those things we can’t even pronounce. The most important ingredient in TV cooking competitions is still Las Vegas.

The 12th season of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” (8 p.m. Thursday, KVVU-TV, Channel 5) is no exception.

Line cook Chris Eversole, 27, of Las Vegas and buffet cook Simone Hammond, 43, of Henderson are among the 20 aspiring restaurateurs competing for a head chef position at one of host Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and the accompanying $250,000 salary.

Eversole’s signature dish is poulet roti, while Hammond’s is a peach and crab apple chutney pork chop, cornbread dressing with pecans and haricot verts with fig and cranberries in a white wine butter sauce.

In addition to the local contestants, the winning team of an upcoming challenge will earn a surprise trip to Las Vegas for dinner. Fox won’t say at which restaurant, but is there any chance it won’t be one of Ramsay’s?