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Place both chicken legs in a pan and add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, salt and pepper before covering with water.
Bring to a boil, then put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through. Drain the chicken and reserve the broth.
Remove the skin and bones from the legs and shred the meat.
For the khoyagusht, heat a frying pan and add the butter and any fat from the top of the broth. Cook the onions until softened, then add a ladleful of the broth from the chicken.
Continue cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are light golden in color.
Season with salt and pepper and add the turmeric and paprika. Add the shredded chicken and the chestnuts to the pan and stir everything together. Moisten with half a ladleful of the chicken broth.
Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to combine.
Preheat the grill. Lightly beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the top of the meat and use a spoon to make holes in the meat, encouraging the egg into the gaps. Place under the hot grill until the eggs are just set and slightly brown on top.
Leave the khoyagusht to sit in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out on to a plate and cutting into thick wedges to serve.
Recipes and Photographs taken from Samarkand: Recipes and Stories from Central Asia and The Caucasus By Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford, Photography by Laura Edwards (Kyle Books, £25)