To marinate the chicken, in a bowl, stir together the buttermilk, garlic, pepper, paprika and salt. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

To dredge and fry the chicken, in a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, paprika, fennel pollen, celery seeds, the 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.

Place a wire rack on a baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in the flour mixture. Place on the rack-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the chicken can dry out a little. 

In a large, high-sided pan, pour in rice bran oil to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 325°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels. 

Pan-fry the chicken until light golden and just cooked through. Transfer to the paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season with salt. 

To make the waffles, in a bowl, stir together the flour, maple sugar and baking powder. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or a handheld whisk, beat together the egg yolks, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and stir until blended. 

In another bowl, using an electric mixer or a handheld whisk, whip the egg whites until firm peaks form, then fold the whites into the batter. Using a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions, cook the waffles.

To make the gravy, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 10 minutes. 

Stir in the flour, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Slowly add the stock a little at a time and whisk until the gravy is smooth. Add the thyme and simmer until the gravy thickens and is smooth, about 15 minutes.

To serve, place the fried chicken on top of the waffles and drizzle the mushroom gravy over the top.