Crisp Fried Sole with Ponzu Dressing

Kara-age is a deep-frying technique in which the food is first coated with flour or other starch and then cooked in oil until crisp. The idea of frying a whole fish is borrowed from Chinese cooking (kara means “Chinese,” and age means “deep-frying”), but the types of fish and style of serving in Japan make this dish look and taste very different from its Chinese counterparts. Karei (sole), okoze (stingfish/stonefish), ainame (rock trout), and iwa