Hell's Kitchen (U.S. season 9) Hell's Kitchen (U.S. season 9) Season 9 of the American competitive reality television series "Hell's Kitchen" premiered on July 18, 2011, on Fox and concluded on September 19, 2011, with a two-hour season finale. Jr. sous-chef Paul Niedermann won the season and was awarded a "head chef" position at BLT Steak in New York City, New York. Gordon Ramsay returned as head chef, as Scott Leibfried and Andi van Willigan remained as sous chefs, as did James Lukanik as the maître d'. The entire season took about six weeks to film. It also saw the show return to its original
Sous-chef Sous-chef A sous-chef de cuisine (French for "under-chef of the kitchen") is a chef who is "the second in command in a kitchen; the person ranking next after the executive chef." Consequently, the sous-chef holds much responsibility in the kitchen, which can eventually lead to promotion to becoming the executive chef. A sous-chef is employed by an institution that uses a commercial-grade kitchen, such as a restaurant, hotel, or cruise ship. The sous-chef has many responsibilities, because the executive chef has a more overarching role. Sous-chefs must plan and direct how the food is presented on the plate, keep their