Possible Clues:

• Filleted
• Filleted, as fish
• As fish may be served, celebrate catching one
• Like fillet? Be grateful for eating one
• Enterprise surgeon protects man without skeleton?
• Like some Buffalo wings
• Exclamation of benevolence when hugging individual lacking courage?
• The present of 17-across takes in one way to serve fish, perhaps
• Might fish be second rate, sole off?
• B minus one without a spine