When I see any recipe for octopus, it's almost always boiled first. Harold McGee says to chuck it in the oven (dry)
The point is, when ever any one fries/BBQ's octopus, they always fry/BBQ cooked octopus.
My question is about why does it have to be this way? My research potentially suggests one of 2 things, but I'm unsure.
- By boiling/oven first, you get a more even cook
- Frying only would make it chewy
In my case, I don't (think) I want to cook the entire octopus, but instead, semi defrost it (until I can chop the arms off (so it would remain mostly frozen)), remove the arms, refreeze and cook the arms as and when needed
If I were to cook an arm only by frying, is there any danger here or do people cook it twice (when frying) for taste/texture?