arroz con leche (rice pudding)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cinnamon sticks (I had very large canela sticks — see bottom for more info — so I only used one)
• 2 strips of lemon or orange zest (can use a peeler to get a larger piece)
• 3 whole cloves or a tiny pinch of ground cloves
• 4 cups water
• 1 egg
• 3 cups whole milk (updated to note that many people, including my mother, successfully made this with lower fat milks)
• 1 (12-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (I realized after the fact that my can had been 14 ounces, had no averse effect)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)